Spectrum Policy Podcast

For the coming weeks, PolicyTracker will cover key issues of the Radio World Conference. The first episode of this WRC-23 special features Martin Fenton, Director of Spectrum Analysis at Ofcom and Chairman of ITU-R Study Group 5. Fenton talks about the Radio Assembly, the upper 6 GHz band, UHF and the future of IMT bands.

While the next generation of mobile technology, or 6G, is only expected to emerge around 2030, the industry is already considering what new spectrum bands could be opened up for mobile use. Some have expressed interest in various bands in the 7-24 GHz range. In fact, there are already proposals to study these bands at upcoming World Radiocommunication Conferences. However, the 7—24 GHz range is al...

PolicyTracker’s podcast series continues with a look into Light Fidelity (LiFi) technology. Instead of using radio frequencies, this form of wireless communication transmits data through light. In this episode,  PolicyTracker’s  Mirva Villa speaks with Professor Harald Haas, who is considered to be one of the LiFi technology’s pioneers. He explains how the technology works and where the industry i...

The 6 GHz band is one of the most controversial issues in spectrum management. At the heart of this issue, there is a disagreement about who needs it most. The mobile industry argues that it is essential for the band to be assigned to mobile operators, while the WiFi industry says they need it. This leaves regulators in the middle, left to make a decision about who to believe. UK regulator Ofcom t...

In November 2023, thousands of delegates will travel to Dubai for the World Radiocommunication Conference. For four weeks they will discuss the future of global communications. What is WRC-23? Why do we need the ITU? What are the key topics that will be discussed in Dubai? Martin Sims Managing Director of PolicyTracker asks Mohammed A. El-Moghazi, Director of International Policies at the National...

The IT sector is responsible for around 2% of global carbon emissions. While various industries are working towards reducing their impact, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about what spectrum regulators can do about the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. In this episode of the Spectrum Policy Podcast, PolicyTracker ‘s Managing Director Martin Sims and journalist Laura Sear discuss what the ind...

A new type of service, satellite direct-to-device (D2D), is starting to take shape. And companies such as Apple and SpaceX are showing an interest. This new technology promises to connect directly to existing smartphones instead of satellite phones or special dishes. In the latest episode of the Spectrum Policy Podcast, PolicyTracker’s Richard Haas speaks to veteran satellite consultant Tim Farrar...

Single wholesale networks (SWNs)  once seemed like a “pretty neat idea”. Those who backed the concept claimed it would enable mobile coverage to be achieved everywhere, even reaching those parts of the country where mobile operators feared to tread (as there was no money to be made).  Sadly, things don’t seem to have worked out that way. Almost everywhere that SWNs have been tried, things just don...

We’ve been promised that 5G will make our devices faster and more efficient. But in order to achieve this, it will need access to significantly more of our airwaves. This episode explores how this new generation of mobile technology intersects with the world of spectrum policy. Professor William Webb of Access Partnership and Ulrich Rehfuess of Nokia explain which spectrum bands matter for 5G, and...

By the 1990s many sectors including electricity, airlines and telecoms had been liberalised, moving from government to private control. Spectrum was no exception:  rather than governments deciding who could access the airwaves, auctions were increasingly used for mobile spectrum, meaning the licence went to the highest bidder. But how well has this worked, considering that mobile ownership is...

We have been communicating wirelessly for over 120 years and in this episode, we pick out the developments which mapped the future direction of spectrum policy. Professor Marc Raboy, author of “Marconi: the man who networked the world” explains the pioneer’s role during the early wireless age. And Professor Thomas Hazlett, former chief economist at the FCC, walks us through the era of radio broadc...

An enormous number of devices use the spectrum, some bring in huge revenues, some are essential for safety of life and others are vital for scientific research.  In this episode, spectrum management expert Richard Womersley and Peter Stuckmann, head of the Future Connectivity Systems unit at the European Commission shed light on the best approaches to regulating this vital resource. Further r...